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5 Days, 50 Events - May 30th to June 3rd, 2012 - Tickets On Sale Now

New York, NY (PRWEB)May 14, 2012

The 2012 World Science Festival (http://www.worldsciencefestival.com) today announced an impressive line-up of cutting-edge science programs for its fifth anniversary season, May 30th to June 3rd, 2012 with more than 50 events designed to make the esoteric understandable and the familiar fascinating.

The Festival brings together many of the world’s leading scientific minds along with renowned artists and influential thinkers to illuminate science in novel and exciting ways, breaking down barriers and connecting leading scientists to a broader public.

The five-day festival celebrates science through a wide range of original programming including discourse and debate, the arts, exhibitions, and free events designed for young scientists and their families.

Since its inception, the annual Festival has welcomed more than 600,000 people to 200 programs in locations throughout New York City. It is the nation’s most anticipated science event and allows everyone – kids and adults, novice and enthusiast – to experience science in unique and thrilling ways. Highlights of the 2012 Festival include:

•The stunning, full orchestral work with animated film and narrator, Icarus at the Edge of Time, which opens the Festival on May 30th at the United Palace Theatre.

•“Innovation Square,” a new Festival initiative that creates a daylong tech fest in downtown Brooklyn, celebrates innovation by transforming NYU Poly’s MetroTech outdoor quad into a technophile’s playground, teeming with innovations from all over the world.

The World Science Festival was co-founded in 2008 by Brian Greene, Columbia University professor of physics and mathematics and bestselling author of The Elegant Universe and The Hidden Reality, and Tracy Day, Emmy Award-winning journalist and television producer.

SCHEDULE of EVENTS
2012 World Science Festival public events are outlined below, in chronological order. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.worldsciencefestival.com . The site offers complete information about the Festival’s program schedule and sign-up for email alerts about new programs, special guests and programming updates.

Details of the 2012 Opening Night Gala Celebration will be announced separately.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2012

Icarus at the Edge of Time
7:00 - 8:00 PM, United Palace Theatre; Ticketed

“Icarus at the Edge of Time” is the story of a courageous boy who challenges the awesome might of a black hole. This stunning, full-orchestral work with animated film and live narrator brings a powerful modern twist to a classic myth, taking audiences on a whirlwind voyage through space and time, to the very edge of understanding. Featuring an original orchestral score by Philip Glass, performed by the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, conducted by Brad Lubman, film by Al + Al and narration written by Brian Greene and David Henry Hwang.

Winners of the 2012 prestigious $1 million Kavli Prizes will be announced live via satellite from the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo. On-site opening remarks will be given by John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, followed by ABC News anchor Elizabeth Vargas and leading researchers exploring the next wave of opportunities in the Kavli prize areas: Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience.

Brewing beer might well be humankind’s first biotechnology, representing our first attempt to harness the power of living organisms. Dating back as early as 9000 BC, the craft galvanized the cultivation of barley and wheat, transformed hunter-gatherers into farmers and fueled the building of monumental structures, such as the pyramids, whose workers received five liters of beer per day as compensation. What did those ancient brews taste like? How were they made? Advanced scientific tools and new archaeological finds offer up tantalizing clues—and tasty results. Join biomolecular archaeologist Patrick McGovern and pioneering brewmaster Sam Calagione as they explore ancient ales from around the world and retrace their journey to Italy to reconstruct an Etruscan fermented beverage circa 800 to 700 BC. This rare brew features an exotic combination of ingredients: hazelnuts, pomegranates, grapes, wild flower honey, frankincense, barley, wheat, and even a few hops. Following the talk and tasting, head up to Eataly’s rooftop brewery, La Birreria, to sample a first-run batch of this prehistoric ale before fermentation. It’s a sensational evening of artisanal snacks, Dogfish Head Ancient Ales and fascinating science.

Great artists shape new realities by challenging conventional worldviews and pushing society to see possibility in unlikely places. That idea springs to life on top of the Metropolitan Art Museum, where Argentinian-born artist Tomás Saraceno debuts his new utopian installation, Cloud Cities, a towering constellation of interconnected pods that draws its inspiration from the geometry of bubbles, the flight of balloons, the patterns of the cosmos and the intricacies of spider webs. Navigate your way through the structure’s maze of mirrors and webs before joining the artist and renowned scientists and architects for a conversation that brings the intersection of science and art to the foreground, and explores radical new habitats for 21st-century living.

Reefs As Never Before Seen: A World Premiere “Coral: ReKindling Venus”
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM; American Museum of Natural History – Hayden Planetarium; Ticketed

The stunning underwater realm of fluorescent coral reefs and exotic sea creatures will overwhelm your senses, as the Hayden Planetarium’s dome is transformed by the renowned video installation artist Lynette Wallworth into an immersive view of ocean life few have ever witnessed. Join us for the World Premiere of Wallworth’s remarkable film, “Coral: ReKindling Venus.” Leading researchers set the stage by sharing insights on the vital science of coral reefs, in a phenomenal evening of art and science – and cocktails.

Too Close to the Sun: Stories of Flash Points
7:30 PM – 9:00 PM; The Great Hall of The Cooper Union; Ticketed

Presented with New York’s innovative storytelling collective, The Moth, esteemed scientists, writers and artists tell on-stage stories about their personal relationship with science. In keeping with Moth tradition, each story must be true and told within ten minutes, without notes. The result is a poignant, hilarious, and enjoyably unpredictable evening that’s sure to intrigue and surely hard to forget.

Join us for the World Premiere of “The Creator,” a beautiful and surreal short-form film by award-winning British artists and filmmakers Al+Al, which follows sentient computers from the future on a mystical odyssey to discover their creator: legendary computer scientist Alan Turing. Marking the centenary of Turing’s birth, “The Creator” will launch a wide-ranging conversation among leading computer scientists and physicists about the promise and perils of artificial intelligence, as we take a personal look at the remarkable and tragic life of this computer visionary.

How We Bounce Back: The New Science of Human Resilience
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM; Tishman Auditorium at The New School; Ticketed

Car accidents. Suicide bombers. Earthquakes. Death of a spouse. Why do some people bounce back from traumatic events while others do not? Is there a biological profile of resiliency? Can science, with the jab of a needle or huff of an aerosol, help reduce post-stress trauma? Can, and should, we train people to be more resilient? Leading thinkers from around the world explore these and other questions about the science of human resiliency.

Cosmology is the one field in which researchers can—literally—witness the past. The cosmic background radiation, ancient light streaming toward us since the Big Bang, provides a pristine window onto the birth and evolution of the universe. Join a group of pioneering physicists and astronomers as they peer back to a fraction of a second after the beginning in search of our cosmic origin.

Madness Redefined: Creativity, Intelligence and the Dark Side of the Mind
8:00 PM - 9:30 PM; The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College; Ticketed

The notion of a “tortured genius” or “mad scientist” may be more than a romantic aberration. Mounting studies have established that bipolar disorder and schizophrenia correlate with high creativity and intelligence. Join leading researchers as they examine the shifting spectrum between brilliance and madness.

The U.S. Premiere of “Surface Tension: The Future of Water,” the exhibition rethinks the most fundamental resource on Earth – water – through the lens of art, design and science. The interactive exhibit showcases more than 40 different works underscoring the urgency of the looming water crisis: 1.2 billion people lack access to clean water, and increasing shortages threaten food production, public health and political stability.

Pioneers in Science is an interactive program that gives high school students from around the world rare and intimate access to Nobel Laureates, presidential advisors, and other trailblazing scientists. This event features visionary geneticist Elaine Fuchs, whose work has pioneered entirely new ways of understanding human disease.

Pioneers in Science is an interactive program that gives high school students from around the world rare and intimate access to Nobel Laureates, presidential advisors, and other trailblazing scientists. This event features renowned chemical engineer Lisa P. Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Join us for a screening of “Robot and Frank,” winner of the 2012 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation feature film prize at Sundance. This dramatic comedy, about a curmudgeonly old jewel thief whose robot caretaker becomes an unlikely partner-in-crime and soulmate, will inspire a follow-up discussion among pioneering roboticists, exploring the future of computerized companions and caretakers as technology profoundly alters the landscape—and very definition—of human interaction.

The Elusive Neutrino and the Nature of the Cosmos
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM; Tishman Auditorium at The New School; Ticketed

The neutrino is among the cagiest of particles, a subatomic wisp so ephemeral it could pass through light years of lead with more ease than a hot knife through butter. This ghostly particle holds clues to some of the most profound questions in physics: What happened in the briefest moments after the Big Bang? Why does the universe contain more matter than antimatter? What happens in the fiery core of exploding stars and in the tumultuous center of active galaxies? Join leading researchers as they chase neutrinos and other elusive particles in search of nature’s fundamental order.

Can the spooky world of quantum physics explain bird navigation, photosynthesis and even our delicate sense of smell? Clues are mounting that the rules governing the subatomic realm may play an unexpectedly pivotal role in the visible world. Join leading thinkers in the emerging field of quantum biology as they explore the hidden hand of quantum physics on the scales of everyday life.

A composer finds freedom from Tourette’s through music; an amnesiac remembers distant memories when he hears the Grateful Dead; a patient with Parkinson’s listens to her favorite tunes and regains the ability to walk without tremors. What is it about music that can transport us to the past, reawaken distant emotions, and even heal some neurological disorders? Join renowned neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks and pioneering music therapists as they use intimate portraits of patients profoundly transformed by music to explore the neural mechanisms behind music’s healing powers, and discuss possible implications for the treatment of Alzheimer’s, aphasia and other neurological impairments.

Join us for an evening of intimate conversation and musical performance as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Rhodes and some of the most forward-thinking composers of our age, explore the extraordinary lives and legacies of two unconventional innovators: the legendary screen siren Hedy Lamarr and renowned avant-garde composer George Antheil. In a remarkable and unlikely union, Lamarr, known as ‘the most beautiful woman in the world,’ and Antheil, the self-described ‘bad boy of music,’ joined forces during World War II to invent a secret communication system that presaged today’s GPS, cell phone and Bluetooth technologies. Today, George Antheil is revered as a pioneer of electronic music. Some of his compositions were so far ahead of their time that the technology to bring them to life only materialized decades after his death. The conversation on innovation, science and music will be amplified by a series of performances of Antheil’s seminal scores and explorations of today’s most avant-garde electronica.

Science comes to life along the historic East River! Join adventurous researchers for a day of family-friendly exploration in one of the city’s most dynamic parks. Discover incredible marine life through an ancient fishing technique, join a leading botanist for a park-wide botanical safari, learn the science secrets of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, and more. Capping it all off is an unforgettable evening of stargazing at “From the City to the Stars” (8:00 PM to 11:00 PM).

Join the World Science Festival and Clearwater educators in raising the sails on the sloop Clearwater, a replica of the 18th-century Dutch tall ships that once traveled the region delivering mail and supplies. Set your course using charts and compasses, and explore the waters of New York City as a citizen scientist. Identify an amazing variety of fish and invertebrates; test for pollution levels; and learn about the pressing environmental issues impacting these historic waterways. All aboard!

The 2012 World Science Festival’s “Innovation Square” transforms a picturesque quad in downtown Brooklyn into a technophile’s adventureland, teeming with future-shaping innovations from all over the world. Watch the first public demonstration of quantum levitation; climb walls with superhero-worthy gecko gloves; play with the world’s lightest material. It’s an unforgettable afternoon of amazing demos, challenges, and interactive fun, suitable for tech enthusiasts of all ages.

Disruptive technologies uproot culture, can precipitate wars and even topple empires. By this measure, human history has seen nothing like the Internet. Pioneers of the digital revolution examine the Internet’s brief but explosive history and reveal nascent projects that will shortly reinvent how we interact with technology—and each other. From social upheaval and ever-shifting privacy standards to self-driving cars and networked groceries, this eye-opening program provides a stunning glimpse of what’s around the corner.

This spectacular double feature shows science in a whole new light: pure, imaginative, mind-bending fun! The big event heats up as Alan Alda hosts “The Flame Challenge,” a contest that calls on scientists worldwide to give their best explanation of how a flame works--but in a way that makes sense to a kid. The excitement continues with the Festival's ever-popular “Cool Jobs,” a jaw-dropping show that brings you face-to-face with amazing scientist with amazing jobs. Imagine having an office that's a zoo and co-workers that are lemurs and porcupines. How about getting paid to build machines that can read people's thoughts? Or imagine your desk was a basketball court and your clients were superstars trying to improve their game through biomechanics? Well, you don't have to just imagine. Hear from scientists who have these jobs--find out what they do, how they do it, and how they got the coolest and weirdest gigs on the planet.

Every generation benefits from the insights and discoveries of the generations who came before. “If I have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants,” wrote Isaac Newton. In a special series, the World Science Festival invites audiences to stand on the shoulders of modern-day giants. The second annual address in this series will be given by esteemed evolutionary biologist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Edward O. Wilson, who will speak about radical advances in the study of human social behavior and evolutionary biology.

Imagine beating every strain of flu with a single jab or wiping out your risk of some lethal cancers, HIV, and malaria during a routine doctor’s visit. That’s the promise of next-generation vaccines, and researchers are closing in on the basic science needed to bring them to reality. Join epidemiologists, virologists, and public-health experts as they share insights on the new wave of vaccine research, and the race to eliminate pandemic threats. Setting the stage for the discussion is a screening of “Contagion,” Steven Soderbergh’s chilling thriller about a deadly flu outbreak and the global race to contain it.

Exoplanets: The Search for New Worlds
3:30 PM - 5:00 PM; Tishman Auditorium at The New School; Ticketed

A few decades ago, we knew of no other planets beyond those in our solar system. Today, astronomers have confirmed over 700 planets circling other suns and believe billions more lay undiscovered. Join researchers leading the charge as they discuss the tantalizing prospects for an Earth analog that could harbor life—as we know it, and as we never imagined it.

Einstein, Time, and the Coldest Stuff in the Universe
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM; The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College; Ticketed

Nobel prize-winning physicist William Phillips returns to the World Science Festival for another spellbinding journey to the lowest temperatures ever recorded. What’s an atomic clock and why does it keep better time when cold? What’s the relationship between speed, temperature and relativity? Through crackling, fizzing, popping experimentation, see what happens when ordinary objects plunge to the edge of absolute zero.

Participant: William Phillips (Nobel Laureate, Physicist).

Why We Prevailed: Evolution and the Battle for Dominance
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM; Tishman Auditorium at The New School; Ticketed

We once shared the planet with Neanderthals and other human species. Some of our relatives may have had tools, language and culture. Why did we thrive while they perished? Join evolutionary biologists, geneticists and anthropologists as they share profound insights about the origin of man and retrace our singular journey from fledging prototype to the most dominant species on Earth.

Stories have existed in many forms—cave paintings, parables, poems, tall tales, myths—throughout history and across almost all human cultures. But is storytelling essential to survival? Join a spirited discussion seeking to explain the uniquely human gift of narrative—from how neurons alight when we hear a tale, to the role of storytelling in cognitive development, to the art of storytelling itself, which informs a greater understanding of who we are as a species.

In 1935, Albert Einstein published a landmark paper revealing that quantum mechanics allows widely separated objects to influence one another, even though nothing travels between them. Einstein called it spooky and rejected the idea, arguing that it exposed a major deficiency in the quantum theory. But, decades later, experiments proved the unsettling concept correct. Join Brian Greene on a journey that brings this insight and the remarkable history of reality-bending quantum mechanics vividly to life.

Participant: Brian Greene (Physicist, Columbia University).

From the City to the Stars
8:00 PM - 11:00 PM; Brooklyn Bridge Park; Free Admittance

Join professional and amateur astronomers for a free evening of urban stargazing. An outdoor party beneath the Brooklyn Bridge and the twinkling canvas of the night sky, it will be a night to explore and discover the vast wonders of the cosmos. Bring your telescope if you have one, or use one of the dozens we’ll have on hand.

The popular Science Street Fair returns to Washington Square Park with another action-packed day of interactive exhibits, experiments, games and shows, all designed to entertain and inspire. Visit a telepathy lab and control a computer just by thinking about it, learn the science tricks to shooting perfect free-throws with NBA stars, create your own fragrance at the Smell Lab, ride a square-wheeled tricycle, and much more!

Art historians are increasingly turning to particle physics to authenticate masterpieces by artists like Rembrandt and Van Gogh, as well as to explore mysterious artworks lying beneath surface paintings. Join a provocative discussion about the powerful new collaboration between scientists, curators and conservators that is bringing to light hidden works and revealing important clues about iconic art.

TICKETS
Tickets for World Science Festival events are on sale now. The Festival’s website, http://www.worldsciencefestival.com, provides the most complete programming and participant information. Tickets are available four ways:

The World Science Festival’s 2012 University Partners provide a broad range of Festival support. The 2012 University Partners include:

The City University of New York

The Cooper Union

Columbia University

The New School

New York University

The Rockefeller University

About the World Science Festival:
The World Science Festival is a production of the Science Festival Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in New York City. The Foundation's mission is to cultivate a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.

The World Science Festival has been made possible with the generous support of its Founding Benefactors: the Simons Foundation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the John Templeton Foundation.

The World Science Festival gratefully acknowledges the generous support of its major sponsors, Ann Ziff, Con Edison and The Kavli Prize; its media partners, ABC News, ABC Radio, WABC-TV, Mental Floss, Popular Science, Time Warner Cable, The Week, WNYC Radio; and its university partners, New York University, The City University of New York, Columbia University, The Rockefeller University, The New School, and The Cooper Union.